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Chelsea have been home to some of the best forwards in modern football, like Didier Drogba, Nicolas Anelka and Diego Costa, to name a few. However, there have also been several high-profile flops for the West Londoners, especially in the no. 9 shirt - a jersey number considered as 'cursed' by many.
Five talented forwards who have struggled at Chelsea:
Much like Manchester United and the no. 7 curse since Cristiano Ronaldo's departure, none of the big-name no. 9s have managed to thrive at Chelsea. The Blues have signed 20 centre-forwards since 2006, but most have struggled to make a mark.
On that note, let's take a look at five skilful forwards who have struggled at Chelsea.
#5 Gonzalo Higuain
Gonzalo Higuain was the latest casualty of the cursed no. 9 shirt, making just 18 appearances for Chelsea. Signed on loan from Juventus, the Argentine scored only five goals during his ill-fated six-month stint at Stamford Bridge.
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The star forward struggled to keep up with the pace and physicality of the Premier League and failed to thrive under his former boss, Maurizio Sarri.
The duo had previously joined forces at Napoli, where Higuain scored 36 league goals in a season - the joint-highest in a single Serie A season. But at Chelsea, Gonzalo Higuain never really managed to replicate his goal-scoring exploits and soon returned to his parent club, Juventus.
Chelsea had the option to buy the Argentine striker for €36 million at the end of his loan deal. But the Blues didn't opt to do so and also weren't too keen on extending his loan spell.
#4 Alvaro Morata
Chelsea's signing of Alvaro Morata came as a shock to many, as social media was abuzz with Romelu Lukaku moving to Chelsea and Morata going to Old Trafford. However, it was Lukaku who made a move to United, and the Spaniard arrived at Chelsea.
In hindsight, Chelsea fans would have preferred Lukaku to Morata, as the £58 million signing from Real Madrid never justified his huge club-record fee.
Brought in to replace Diego Costa, Morata managed a return of just 24 goals in 72 appearances for Chelsea. The Spaniard had a dreadful start to life in England, missing from the spot in a penalty shootout against Arsenal in the Community Shield final.
In 2019, Alvaro Morata was loaned to Atletico Madrid, becoming the most expensive player to be out on loan at that time. After a year on loan at the Wanda Metropolitano, the now-28 year old signed permanently for Atletico Madrid before being loaned out again that year to Juventus.
#3 Timo Werner
Chelsea's latest forward signing, Timo Werner, has struggled to adapt to life in London after a £47.7 million move from RB Leipzig last summer.
Werner arrived in England with a huge reputation, after four stellar seasons for the Bundesliga club.
In 159 appearances, the 25-year old was involved in 135 goals (95 goals and 40 assists). He was also one of the top players for the German side, and all the hype around Werner seemed to make sense. However, the striker has completely misfired for Chelsea during his brief spell at the club, notching up only ten goals and 11 assists in 41 appearances.
Wener's shooting has been dismal, to say the least. He has averaged a lowly 1.1 shots on target per 90 minutes out of 2.7 shots per game - with 20 shots off target and 17 blocked out of 62 attempts.
These are still early days for Werner at Chelsea, and things could improve for the better, but he hasn't provided a good first impression.
#2 Fernando Torres
One of the best forwards in the modern game - Fernando Torres - made a rather surprising move. Ending a four-year stint at Liverpool, Torres arrived at Chelsea for £52.65m in 2011 - making him the Blues' most expensive acquisition till Morata's arrival.
Fernando Torres was one of the most feared strikers in world football, scoring 81 goals and providing 20 assists in 142 appearances for Liverpool.
Torres made his Chelsea debut against his former teammates, but providing glimpses of his immense talent, he never managed to replicate the form he showed at Anfield. In 172 appearances for the west Londoners, Torres managed a rather underwhelming return of 45 goals and 35 assists.
However, Torres made a good habit of consistently lifting silverware during his four-year spell at Chelsea. He played a crucial role in Chelsea's Champions League triumph, scoring a memorable solo goal against Barcelona in the semi-final. The Spaniard also lifted a Europe League trophy with the Blues.
#1 Andriy Shevchenko
Former Ballon d'Or winner and Ukraine's all-time record goal-scorer Andriy Shevchenko was a huge flop at Chelsea. The striker came to English shores amid huge expectations from the Blues faithful and was a statement signing of sorts that Chelsea could attract the biggest names in the game.
Shevchenko was a Roman Abramovich favourite and arrived at Chelsea in 2006 with a burgeoning reputation. The striker had a fabulous seven-season stint at AC Milan, making 220 goal contributions (175 goals and 45 assists) in 322 appearances.
However, Shevchenko struggled with the rigours of Premier League football. The Ukrainian legend found the back of the net just 22 times in 77 appearances for Chelsea before he was transferred back to AC Milan after a two-year spell in London.
